The Lenovo IdeaPad S205 is a speedy, oversized netbook that can serve as primary laptop, but this configuration is a bit pricey compared to others in its class.

Netbooks were the hottest tickets in town back when no one fathomed that a tablet could ever replace them as Web-surfing computers. They've lost much of their original momentum, but plenty of good netbooks are still being made. For instance, the Lenovo IdeaPad S205 ($579.99 direct) is an 11-inch model powered by an AMD E-350 processor instead of an Intel Atom and 4GB of memory rather than the typical 1GB. Add in a solid feature set, and the S205 has enough oomph to serve as your primary laptop. But you can get a better deal by selecting its entry-level configuration or choosing the HP Pavilion dm1z ($449 direct, 4 stars).

Similar Products

Design
All-plastic construction is a familiar design tune for netbooks, but their additional decoration can make or break them. The IdeaPad S205 has a chocolate hue with a subtle block pattern underneath it. It doesn't hide fingerprints and smudges as effectively as the Sony VAIO VPC-YB15KX/S ($599.99 list, 4 stars) and Lenovo ThinkPad X120e ($579.99 direct, 4 stars), whose anti-reflective tops are made for that purpose. The S205 is also boxy-looking, lacking the tapered look of the dm1z or the curves of the Samsung NF310-A01 ($399.99 list, 4 stars). In terms of heft, it weighs 3.1 pounds: lighter than the YB15KX/S (3.2 pounds) and dm1z (3.5 pounds).

Compared with traditional netbooks with 10-inch widescreens, like the HP Mini 5103 ($425 direct, 4 stars) and NF310-A01, the S205's 11-inch widescreen represents quite a bump in real estate. That extra inch and guaranteed 1,366-by-768 resolution make Web surfing a lot more tolerable than on a 10-inch, 1,024-by-600 screen. You can count on Lenovo for a strong typing experience, as the S205's island-style keyboard is full size, with keys that are raised to an ideal height and slightly contoured; the ones on the dm1z and YB15KX/S are more flat-topped. Although the mouse buttons are soft and a pleasure to click with, I felt the touchpad was uncomfortably small; the pinch (the space between thumb and index finger) is wider on the dm1z and YB15KX/S.

Features
Oversized netbooks like this one ensure that you have all of the features found in a full-size laptop, save for a built-in DVD burner (this is a netbook, after all). The S205 comes with an HDMI port, something that isn't included on the SF310-A01 and Mini 5103. It has three USB 2.0 ports, VGA, and Ethernet. The SD slot reads the most popular card format used in digital cameras, and the webcam above the screen facilitates video chats and silly snapshots of yourself. The S205 also ships with 500GB of storage, which is what you get on the YB15KX/S.

PerformanceLike the dm1z, X120e, and YB15KX/S, the S205 is very appealing from a performance standpoint. This is due to its 1.6GHz AMD E-350 processor and 4GB of memory (the same amount you would find on mainstream laptops); in contrast, netbooks like the 5103 and SF310-A01 use an inferior processor like the Intel Atom and have less memory. The S205 won't outperform (or even compete with) laptops that use Intel Core or AMD Athlon processors, however. We were able to render an image in Adobe Photoshop CS5 using complex filters, but it took a sluggish 14 minutes 44 seconds. The S205's CineBench R11.5 score (0.63) is consistent with those of the dm1z (0.61) and YB15KX/S (0.63), putting all three on an even playing field when it comes to processor-intensive tasks like video conversion and audio encoding. Its AMD Radeon 6310M graphics solution is far better than the Atom's integrated one, but even running modest games like World of Warcraft is still a bit of a stretch.

The S205's biggest blemish is that it ships with a 48Wh battery, which is smaller than you'll find in the dm1z (55Wh), YB15KX-S (54Wh), and X120e (57Wh). Although the S205's MobileMark 2007 time of 5 hours 30 minutes is respectable for any commute, both the dm1z (7:08) and YB15KX/S (7:53) did better.

Oversized netbooks like the Lenovo IdeaPad S205 require fewer compromises than traditional 10-inch netbooks. The S205's 11-inch screen, full-size keyboard, and HDMI port are some of its pluses; and its AMD parts and abundant memory can handle many of the more demanding computing tasks that an Intel Atom paired with 1GB of RAM can't. But because of the S205's few weaknesses, which include a puny touchpad and mediocre battery life, I would recommend the HP Pavilion dm1z.

About the Author

Cisco Cheng is the Lead Analyst of the laptop team at PCMag.com. He’s a one-man wrecking crew who tests and writes about anything considered a laptop (yes, even netbooks). He’s been with PC Mag for over 10 years and gets occasional headaches from all the technical knowledge he has absorbed during that time. He’d still be snowboarding and playing ba... See Full Bio

Lenovo IdeaPad S205

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.